Doodle3D Transform easy-to-use 3D design app launches on Kickstarter

Sep 20, 2016 | By Tess

If you are a parent or educator and want a simple and easy-to-use tool for introducing 3D design to younger generations, a small Dutch tech company is hoping to provide a solution with its new app Doodle3D Transform. The app, which allows users to easy transform 2D drawings and images into 3D printable models, is currently seeking funding through a Kickstarter campaign.

Utrecht-based Doodle3D, which was founded in 2012 by Rick Companje and Nico van Dijk, has for the past few years been making products and apps that enable and make 3D designing and 3D printing more accessible to inexperienced users. If you’re familiar with the Doodle3D Sketch App, or the Doodle3D WiFi-Box, you’ll already know the startup's work. Now, with their most recent product, the team at Doodle3D is hoping to improve on its previous app by opening the doors for more complex and precise 3D designs.

As the company explains, it was inspired to create an easy-to-use and intuitive 3D design app in order to help people realize their designs. As they state, “With all the easy access and affordability of 3D printing, we feel that 3D design apps should be equally accessible and affordable. We set out to develop an application that would allow you to create a lot of different and advanced models, without having to go through many hours of learning how the interface works.”

Of course, you won’t be able to make designs as intricate or detailed using Doodle3D Transform as you might with professional design softwares, but the app does provide beginner makers and children a fun and productive entry-point for 3D design platforms. So, how exactly does the app work? Well, it is essentially divided into two parts: 2D and 3D. In the 2D section, users will be able to either capture a 2D image or drawing or draw it directly into the app in preparation for the 3D transform. The 2D section also includes a number of basic tools like a pen, eraser, paintbucket, and trace function, the latter of which is what allows your to turn your drawing into a 3D model.

Once you’re satisfied with your 2D image, you can then switch to the 3D modeling section, where you will be able to easily adjust the Z-direction of the object, also known as the objects depth. The 3D section has a number of other useful tools as well including move (to better visualize your object), scale, curve, and twist options.

If you do have a 3D printer on hand, you’ll be able to easily download your prepared STL model from the app and load it into your splicer program, after which it can be sent directly to your 3D printer. If you have the Doodle3D WiFi-Box (compatible with all Marlin-based 3D printers), you’ll even be able to wirelessly send the model from the app to the printer. Of course, if you don’t have your own 3D printer, a number of other options exist, such as sending your file to a 3D printing service to print for you.

The app itself is a web-based design tool, which is compatible with virtually any browsers. If the Kickstarter campaign is a success (it is seeking to raise €50,000 by October 21st, 2016), then the startup will make their design tool accessible as an app with versions for Apple, Google, and Microsoft.

Rewards for the ongoing Kickstarter campaign include early bird digital access to Doodle3D Transform for a pledge of €15, regular access for €20, Doodle3D Transform plus the WiFi-Box for €100 (€85 for early birds), and much more. According to Doodle3D, early access to their product will be available as soon as next month, while their V1 release, which is set to include tutorials, Boolean (substractive) tools, more custom shapes, and more, is expected to launch in February 2017, and V2 in May 2017.